Tracking it down
 

My father used to own a 1938 Austin 10 Roadster and drove it for many years when courting my mother and even after they were married it was their means of getting around.

Eventually, when my elder brother was born in 1955 they had to sell it as it just didn't suit anymore - a sad day for them. Over the years they have often spoken fondly of it.

Well, 4 years ago I started looking to see if it still existed - I wanted to see if I could find it in time for their 50th Wedding anniversary. I managed to track it down but it was in pieces undergoing a slow restore/rebuild.

Last weekend I was contacted by the current owner (my details had been passed on to the various owners in the last 4 years) and as of Sunday night my parents have been re-united with the beloved car - back in the family after 50+ years.

Dad is now 80 and mum 75, but they are like two kids in a candy store again - and can't wait to be running down to the shops each day in the car. A bit of trim work is still required and to get it re-registered but all the hard work has been done already.

Has anyone else tracked down an old car they owned years after its gone?

Tim

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That is an awesoem story!! Your a great son to go through all that for your parents. Very cool.

Great story! I would love to find my dad's old MGTD.

Anyone out there have a 54 TD with an MGA engine and retrofitted electric wipers?

Great Story

I can't beleive you found the car after 50 years, that's such a cool thing to do for your folks.

The amazing thing is the number of kool stories which are now coming out. When the previous owner commented that the gear lever was bent odd and would need to be fixed, dad mentioned that it was he who bent it in the first place.

Seems when he drove the 4 hours up country to visit my mum on weekends, he often ended up giving some of the locals a ride back to the city on the Sudnay evening. When you have three people squeezed into the front seat and the one next to the driver is a lady - you have to be very carefull when reaching down to change gear! Remember this was the early fifty's!!

So dad just bent the gear lever over so it sat next to his legs.

The look on the previous owners face when dad was telling the yarn was priceless!

Tim

Well its taken a lot longer than we thought to get it going - the body needed to come off and everything needed to be checked. The electric wiring needed replacing - now done and lots of the old trim pieces were beyond repair - so we needed to remake them using the old ones as templates.

Today, the engine was started for the first time since it was rebuilt by one of the previous owners in 1993. Lots of time spent doing a strip down and checks, but today after the wiring was finished and a friend who knows these engines well checked it all, it fired up first go - and the grins from everyone were worth the wait.

So there is light at the end of the tunnel - we will get the last bits re-attached and down to the authorities for a registration. Dad's even checked if original rego number was available - and it was. They are already made and waiting at the registry for us.

Best thing about it is that it has given my brother and I a good reason to take the time to make the drive and visit our parents at least once a month for the last year and a half. Spending quality time with your Dad when he is in his 80's has been great. And mum fusses over us like we are kids still.

Tim

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing. If there were any type of documentation for any of my Dad's previous cars (or his H-D he had when I was born), I'd start looking today! My Mom and Dad both have passed away, but getting into a car that my Mom and Dad shared without children would be PRICELESS. We were very close, and I can just imagine the great times they had together without us pesky kids.

Great story- I know exactly how your parents feel.

I found my old '68 911 in '05 that I had sold in '77. It's like being reunited with a favorite pet. This time it won't get away! The full story is on my website here.

And now y'all know why I could never replace MY 356.... dad bought new in '65, I came home from the hospital in it when I was born, grew up in it, learned to drive in it, etc.

My son (4) and I sat in it the other day, and he started asking questions about it. Amazing how much ***** gets in your eyes just sitting in a car like that...

My 1969 XJ was purchased by my Father brand new in 1970 and has been in the family "more or less" since new. That said, when I left the mid-west in 1979 I gave the car to one of my best friends with the agreement that when I returned I got it back. Returned in 1995 and could not find Keith, nor the car.

Searched for almost a year and finally found him. He had been living in Wichita when I left and his parents just South of Fort Worth. He had moved to Houston and the car had been in his parents garage in Texas for many years, then towed to Houston where it sat on jackstands for almost 20 years.

We got in touch, met for dinner several times and briefly chatted about the car but not in depth. "There will be time for that when you get it back" he always said. Late January 2001 his wife called and it turned out that Keith had a blood clot go into his lungs and he had passed. I went down to Houston and helped his wife and daughter sort out things and as I was ready to leave she said that I needed to come to the garage. There sat my Fathers XJ, waiting. A few months later and it was back in my garage and we were working on restoring it. Its about 75% completed and driveable again.

Also did a search and found 3 of the old airplanes that my Father flew as a young student. Also found several others that were not flying. When I get some more time will try to get in touch with some of these owners and try to get a ride in one of them. Dad would have liked that...

Joe

Well, it took almost 4 years but the Austin was registered again on 18th December 2009 and best of all was on 30th January 2010 dad took mum for a drive for the first time in 50 years. To top it all off, we were able to secure the registration number my dad had when he originally owned the car.
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Taking Dad for a drive on our way to get the registration done.
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Lots more work to be done (paint, trim, folding roof etc.) but now that it is mobile mum and dad can enjoy using the car for just cruising or a run to the shops for milk and bread. It's done a couple of long runs and has about 300 miles on it now - I love all the smiles you get from people as they pass.

You certainly realise how technology has changed:
- 4 wheel drum brakes actuated by solid rods - nothing hydraulic
- Thermo syphon water cooling - no water pump
- Cross ply tyres!!!
- Square cut 1st gear - oh my ears.
- No syncro on first either.

Would not swap any of it - just makes it unique.


Tim

That is just flat out cool! You're Dad must think you are absolutely the greatest son ever.

Click on my signature and read the story about my Dad's Rudge Whitworth Grand Prix Ulster which he bought before WWII and I still have.

Incredible!!!